Where The Wild Flowers Grow
by WitchGirl
Summary: It's a special funeral... Nothing else to say... It's short, so if you have time, read it, it's quite touching... PG for one swearword [lol, only one? ;-)]


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Where the Wild Flowers Grow

Summary: It's a special funeral… What else can I say?

Disclaimer: Nobody's mine except for the girl, Holly. If you're really interested in learning the story behind her and Cedric, please read "The Remembered." But you don't have to.

It was the strangest day I had ever experienced. And the sky was as blue as sapphires and the sun flared brightly in the sky like a giant ruby. I saw the clouds moving above me, so silently and serene… No wonder people thought it was heaven.

It was such a nice day, such a beautiful day to die. Such a beautiful day to be remembered.

But it was funny, because that was all I could see. The clear blue sky, the slowly moving clouds, and the ruby sun. I saw nothing else. But I heard much.

"Friends and Family, we gather here today to mourn the passing of Cedric Amos Diggory…"

There was a choked sob from my mother, I could hear it over the preacher's voice. I guess I lied when I said I couldn't see anything. I could see that damn preacher, talking about me. He didn't even know me, what right did he have to talk about me? He droned on. I wasn't one to listen to preaching at my own funeral. I hated it in church, why should I be tortured now? I'm already dead, for heaven's sake! No pun intended… My mother knew I hated churches. They were the only places that made me claustrophobic. So leave it to my Catholic father to hire a priest for his son's funeral, to remind him and my mother of how much I hated churches. At least they had the decency to have my funeral outside.

"…And we have Cho Chang to deliver the eulogy."

How I wished so much to see that gorgeous raven-haired Ravenclaw rise from her seat and approach the stand. I saw her up there, looking as radiant as ever in those beautiful dark blue robes she knew I loved on her. Her face was impassive, but I saw her eyes glistening and I noticed her gulp down the lump forming in her throat. She looked like an angel, illuminated on a pedestal. I felt like taking her in my arms and kissing her one last time, one last goodbye…

Her voice rang like a quivering bell over the silent crowd of mourners.

"Cedric was… Cedric was a great friend…" she said in a near whisper, though her voice was louder thanks to the Sonerous charm. "He and I, we were really great friends. He always made me laugh. I remember being worried about him in the Tournament and he'd actually laugh at me and assure me he would be fine. He would never fail to assuage my fears. God, I'll miss him…" I saw her look down and wipe her eyes with her right hand. She looked up again and her voice was quivering even more. "I-I'm sorry, I just… Maybe Holly should… No." She held herself up, tall and proud, and I could almost feel the smile forming on my dead lips. _That's my girl,_ I thought, proudly, _Be brave, Cho_.

"He deserves… Much more than what he… What he was given. I think we can all agree on that… Well! Anyway… I did prepare a speech for this, it's just…" Cho smiled, despite the situation. "Well, Cedric always had a knack for getting me flustered and I could never be organized whenever he…" she stopped, suddenly and her smile disappeared. She rustled her papers. "Let me see, where was I? Oh yes. He deserves much more than what he was given, as we all deserved to see him happily seize the Triwizard Cup or gracefully accept his defeat. He deserved to graduate, he deserved to get married, he deserved to have kids, he deserved to have a _life!_ He deserved to live and… And now he can't because… Because he was ripped away from it, ripped away from all of the warmth and love he thought he knew…" Cho was faltering again. I sighed, inwardly. The poor girl. The urge to swoop her up in my arms returned immensely. I wished to hold her close and whisper into her silky hair about how much I love her and how much I miss her. But alas, the rules of the mortal prohibit me from doing such a thing. Cho continued.

"God, he was such a great guy, wasn't he?" she whispered with a small laugh. "I can't even compose myself, I'm sorry. I could have done a better job at this, it's just… Well, he was Cedric. And he always used to make me smile?" And then, she added in a whisper that even the Sonorous charm didn't enforce, "Who's going to make me smile now?"

__

I'll bring that smile to your gorgeous lips, Cho, I thought to myself. _You'll see. You'll smile again. Don't hang your head in shame or grief, don't bury your head under your pillow, because I miss your smile. I love your smile._ I do love her smile.

"I think that's all I have to say," she said. "Or else I think I might burst into tears right here. Thank you."

People clapped slowly without much rhythm, appreciating the courage it took Cho to go up and do that; the courage that the rest of them didn't have. She stepped down from the stage and took her seat.

For some reason, I didn't mind being dead. I always thought I'd hate it, I had always feared it, but it wasn't as bad as people made it out to be. The only thing that killed me— pardon the pun— Was sitting there listen to my friends and family cry.

The first one to walk up to my casket was Holly Phillips, my devoted friend and the girl I had once fallen madly in love with. She smiled sweetly down at me, and looked away instantly, her red hair framing her pale face. I saw the tear streaks running down her cheeks and she opened those brown eyes I had once delved into so long ago. it seemed ever so long ago now.

"I'm sorry, Cedric," she whispered. "I'm sorry I never told you… I never told you. I did love you, Cedric, I was just too stupid to realize it. Please, forgive me for letting you go. I'll miss you…" The girl with so many secrets slipped me a white rose. I had to appreciate her thoughts. The white rose had been somewhat of an inside joke between the two of us. I would always perform my little magic trick and transform a twig into the rose and give it to her whenever she was upset. It was our token of friendship, of respect, of trust… and of forgiveness.

I forgive you Holly. And I miss you too.

The next to approach was my father, Amos Diggory, accompanied by my mother, who was in tears. You never could count on her to disguise her emotions. Women like her wore their feelings out on their sleeves. Anger, joy, fear, sorrow… She never even tried to hide it. Which was probably why my father married her. He didn't understand a thing about women, and she was so easy to understand. Rather than having a female language of her own, when she asked how she looked in a dress, she was really asking. When she asked his opinion, she expected him to answer truthfully. When she told him she loved him, she meant it.

"My poor, poor boy!" she choked.

"Mum, please, your embarrassing me at my own funeral," I wanted to say. But I couldn't because I had no voice box.

My father put his arm comfortingly around her, trying to console her as best he could. It wasn't particularly one of his strong points, but he didn't do a bad job of it. I knew he'd miss ordering me around and telling me how great I'd become and how proud I'd make him. His loss. I never wanted to make _him_ proud, though it would have gotten him off my back. I did things for _me_ at least that's what I told myself. Wasn't it my father who suggested I enter the Triwizard Tournament? Or was it my father that _ordered_ I enter the Tournament? I laugh at it now.

"I'm sorry, boy…" he muttered. He caught me unaware. Did my father just apologize to _me?_ Irony. I remember begging for forgiveness from him whenever I lost a Quidditch match. "I never meant to pressure you… It was for your own good, Cedric, I did it all for you. I wanted you to be the best you can be and have no regrets… But I didn't mean to be too hard on you. I didn't want you to have any regrets about things you should have done. I'm sorry."

I have no regrets, Dad.

Of course, there were my friends, Ryan, Erin, and Drew. They all came in a group, probably because Ryan and Drew didn't think Erin could stay standing seeing me dead. They were probably right. I saw her swoon and Ryan caught her under the arm.

"Easy there, Erin," he whispered. She straightened up.

"Oh God, Cedric!" Erin panted. "I don't know how I'll… You were the only one who really knew me better than I knew myself. You were the only one who…" but she trailed off and looked away. I knew Erin would never let tears fall in public. It wasn't her style.

"You were a great friend, Ced," Drew said with a sad smile. "Really, you were. Hey, remember that time when you made that great catch during that match against Ravenclaw? You were great, Ced, you really were…" Drew trailed off.

"Drew's right, Cedric," Ryan said, jerking his head at the boy. "You were a great friend. We can't stress that enough. Thank you, for always being there for us. We really wished we could have done the same for you."

You're welcome, you three. Any time. And you did, you were always there for me.

And after them, there was a face I didn't expect, though I knew I should have. Green eyes looked at me through glasses that had been broken plenty of times in the past. Harry Potter.

"I shouldn't have made you take the cup, Cedric," he whispered. "Voldemort wanted me, not you." That name… Voldemort. It didn't seem to bother me in death. After all, isn't death what people fear the most? Voldemort can't hurt me now.

"Stupid me and my morals…" Harry muttered. "I just _had_ to let the good guy win! Why couldn't I just have been selfish for once?" I laughed without really laughing. He sounded like a twit. "I suppose you think I sound like a twit, saying how I wish I'd been selfish." He read my mind. He knew me better than I thought he did. "But it's true. I never meant to hurt you, Cedric, all I wanted was for us to both win, for both of us to get the glory, for your father to be proud of you, for Cho…" Harry trailed off. _Yes,_ I thought._ Everything for Cho._ "I… I think I love her, Cedric," Harry whispered. "But then again, it's probably just a crush." _Never say that, Harry. You could miss out on something really great._

"I wish I could have known you better. You were OK, Cedric. You were really brave. You will be remembered."

I wish I could have known you better as well, my young Gryffindor companion. And I, for one, am glad I actually died for something. But you better get that bastard in the end.

The final important face I remember that day, was, of course, that of Cho Chang's. Up close, I noticed her beautiful eyes were red from crying. Dear, _dear_ Cho, I am so sorry for all the pain I caused you…

"I don't have much to say, Cedric," Cho whispered. "Except maybe… I love you. I always loved you. And I always will…

"Do you remember the flowers, Cedric?" She hesitated and I wondered if, in her grief and denial, she actually expected an answer from my corpse.

__

Yes! I scream madly. _Yes! Yes! YES!_

"I remember the flowers. You and Holly were so close, I could have never… But I remember. I was worried you were falling in love with her again. So you brought me to this beautiful glade with all these different kinds of wild flowers and the unicorns and… Oh God, it was breathtaking. That was probably one of the best days of my life, laying there with you and the wild flowers and the clear sky and the unicorns… Those flowers were beautiful. Do you remember the flowers?"

As she described it, I remembered. I remembered leading her to my secret place in the forest and coaxing out a young unicorn foal. I remembered telling her the names of the different flowers. I remembered the petals that entangled themselves in her hair. I remembered laughing with her in the warm sunlight, wanting the day to last forever.

And as I remembered it, I saw it. The unicorn foal and everything, it was all there. My heaven.

__

Don't worry, Cho, my thoughts linger on the dying wind. _I'm where the wild flowers grow._


End file.
